Whatever you thought about her sense of humor, Joan Rivers was a hard-working woman entrepreneur whom I admired and learned from.

I didn’t realize just how hard-working she was until I saw her documentary, “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.” This woman would travel great distances to perform for small audiences simply to keep her calendar filled. The most memorable scene in the movie, for me, was her saying, “You want to see fear?” Then she opened up her paper calendar to empty pages, pointed at the open spaces, and said, “This is fear.”

The other visual I remember distinctly was her old-fashioned card catalog, big as the New York Public Library’s must have been, filled with jokes she’d recorded and filed. She was the consummate pro.

I was actually surprised to read what size estate she had left behind. Even though she lived in a gilt-edged apartment the size of Versailles, she always seemed hungry to earn more–QVC, the small gigs I mentioned, and the cable shows she signed on for. Made me wonder if she was having trouble paying her bills. Her $290 million estate belies that ambition.

Rest in peace, Joan. You deserve the well-earned time off.